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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Mayor: Frasco misinformed, no increase in Boracay fees

Mayor: Frasco misinformed, no increase in Boracay fees

Published Jan 30, 2025 04:00 am

ILOILO CITY – Mayor Frolibar Bautista of Malay town, Aklan province said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco is misinformed as there was no recent increase in fees entering world-famous Boracay Island.

“The fees have been the same for several years,” said Mayor Frolibar Bautista of Malay town, Aklan province. “Nobody complained when these fees were increased in 2022,” Bautista said.

Frasco had earlier said that stakeholders are concerned with expensive fees being paid in going to the country’s most famous beach destination, which did not hit its 2.4 million tourist arrivals target in 2024.

BORACAY ISLAND.jpg

TOURISTS stroll along the whote sand beach of the world-famous Boracay Island in Malay town, Aklan province. (Tara Yap)

Before entering Boracay Island, tourists have to pay a terminal fee and environmental fee at the Caticlan Jetty Port in mainland Malay, aside from the boat fare.

Since September 2022, domestic and foreign tourists have been paying a P150 terminal fee before entering. The environmental fee is P150 for domestic tourists and P300 for foreign tourists.

Bautista said these fees are crucial to enable local government units to maintain operations such as the Aklan provincial government which is maintaining the ports where the boats dock.

The environmental fee enables Malay to haul garbage generated by tourists, workers, and residents in the resort-island.

Jonathan Cabrera, a former Malay municipal councilor, said that these fees have a corresponding local legislation. “The fees can be collected when there’s an existing local ordinance,” Cabrera said.

Bautista and Cabrera surmised that Frasco might be referring to the long-time complaint about time wasted in lining up to pay different fees at Caticlan Port.

But this has been addressed with the launching of Boracay iPass, a centralized online payment system, last December. The iPass addresses the issue of inbound tourists paying separately for boat fares, terminal fees, and environmental fees at the port.

But some individuals have complained of additional fees when paying the iPass via GCash, PayMaya, 7-Eleven, or online bank transfers.

Related Tags

Boracay Island Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco
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